One Page Summary

CHALLENGE AND NEEDS ADDRESSED
Our solution addresses the challenge called “From job seekers to job creators!” by Grameen Italia Foundation. We hereby present our proposal to help Grameen Italia to design an innovative program for disadvantaged people to foster business skills and a self-employment mindset.

CONTEXT & BACKGROUND
The gig economy nowadays represents an environment in which temporary positions are common and organisations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements. The gig economy represents either a promising economic model which would enable individuals to unleash their full potential and to be more creative as freelancers; or it is a temporary and unsuitable ideal which needs to be regulated by competent policymakers before it is too late.

No matter what your viewpoint is, entrepreneurial skills and adaptation capacities are increasingly important in today’s labour market and in social-professional personal development. That is where SpareSpace comes in. For both self-employed people and job seekers. 
 
NEEDS MET BY SPARESPACE SOLUTION IN PRACTICE
SpareSpace offers Grameen Italy a scalable and sustainable social-economic concept that has successfully proven itself 24 times under various challenging circumstances.

Our offer is aimed at Grameen and its partners including social enterprises and local organisations dedicated to social services provision and job placement programmes enabling them to devotedly support disadvantaged people to foster business skills and a self-employment mindset.

In order to realise your and our ambitions we will in close cooperation with you:
- develop a training package for the final target group of (vulnerable) potential startups and job seekers;
- ensure inclusion, achievement and wellbeing for all participants;
- set up a regional pact (network) toolkit to involve and commit your regional stakeholders to the SpareSpace programme;
- create the optimal circumstances for peer learning and (external) expert involvement;
- develop and deliver a dedicated train-the-trainer programme in Bologna within the 6 month pilot phase;
- employ cascading training methodologies that ensure effective implementation of our methods and approaches to ensure scalability and sustainability.
- invite you over to SpareSpace in Rotterdam and in Friesland in the Netherlands for a study visit as part of the train-the-trainer programme; 
 
We enable potential startup entrepreneurs from ‘vulnerable backgrounds’ to start their own business and work together with other new entrepreneurs in one place (or shop). Meanwhile, the SpareSpace concept offers a tailored approach for the target group, consisting of different ages, educational levels, skills and backgrounds. SpareSpace helps people to start up their business and inspires them to grow on a business level AND on a personal level.

In addition, a problem across many cities during and after the economic crisis is an increase in the number of unoccupied buildings such as stores and offices in cities and small villages. SpareSpace addresses this issue by utilising empty shop-premises for aspiring entrepreneurs. Our concept supports the revitalisation of (deprived) areas in cities and rural areas.  

TESTED & PROVEN CONCEPT
Over the past three years, SpareSpace has supported many start-up entrepreneurs and job seekers to develop their entrepreneurial skills and consequently start their own store. SpareSpace was able to realise its programme in 24 locations in the Netherlands, including large urban areas like Rotterdam and small villages in the province of Friesland. Always open and tailored to local circumstances and preferences of our partners.

IMPLEMENTATION & INVOLVED ACTORS
At all times we work together with local stakeholders as THE way to ensure sustainability and create a sense of common ownership. We would be glad to work with Grameen, your partners including social enterprises and local organisations dedicated to social services provision and job placement programmes; Grameen’s micro credit providing partners such as ENM; (empty) real estate owners; and the University of Bologna and its Start-up Incubator.

The train-the-trainer programme enables Grameen and its stakeholders to adopt the SpareSpace approach after the piloting phase in practice. Advantage of the approach is the possibility to start small (with 1 or 2 locations in the pilot phase) and to grow it gradually. Both locally and in other cities in Italy and beyond.

SpareSpace is a true community, therefore after the 6 months piloting phase we are always available to our partners and the startups and job seekers they support. We keep in active touch with the local stakeholders for further support and to exchange best practice and issues.